One of two men shot by an off-duty Houston police officer after they allegedly broke into the lawmanï¿½s home in Harris County Thursday has died at the hospital, officials said.

Lt. Donald Hamilton, 53, said he was getting ready for his shift at the Houston Police Departmentï¿½s Southeast Patrol Division about 6 p.m. when he heard a knock at his front door, on Presidentï¿½s Drive near Cullen.

Hamilton didnï¿½t answer the door, investigators said.

"According to him, there are solicitors in the neighborhood all the time," said Harris County Sheriffï¿½s Sgt. Greg Pinkins, whose agency is leading the investigation because the shooting was in their jurisdiction.

Soon after that, Hamilton said, someone started banging on his back door. When he went to investigate, the HPD officer saw that at least two men had forced their way inside by breaking a window and were moving toward him, sheriffï¿½s detectives said.

"He discharged his weapon, striking one or maybe two of them," Pinkins said of Hamilton.

Detectives said they donï¿½t believe the men were armed, but the fact that they had broken into his home would have given Hamilton justification to defend himself.

The wounded suspects and a third person, believed to have remained outside, ran toward a car in front of the house. Hamilton also fired at the now-fleeing vehicle, investigators said.

Detectives said one of the suspects was later taken to Ben Taub General Hospital by an ambulance. He later died. Another wounded man went to Ben Taub on his own. He was expected to survive, deputies said.

A third person, who appeared to have been uninjured, was later questioned at the shooting scene.

Detectives said Hamilton, whoï¿½s a 28-year HPD veteran, identified the man as being one of the burglars. Hamilton was not injured.